Flashlight



Jan. 10, 1939. Q F; JOERS 2,143,558

FLASHLIGHT Filed Jan. 1o, 1936 l x// BY ATTO emma im. 1o, 1939 2,143,558

UNITED sTATEs PATENT OFFICE FLASHLIGHT Carl F. Joers, Los Angeles, Calif. Application January 10, 1936, Serial No. 58,582 10 Claims. (Cl. 24o-10.66)

This invention relatestoflashlights of the same L, a lens A at the end of housing H, batteries general character and for the same purpose as C, C, removably held in body B, a bottom D, that disclosed in U. S. Patent No. 2,901,363, forming a switch for the lamp circuit and a granted to me on May 14, 1935, and has for spring E held in compression between the lowest 5 an object the provision oi' a ashlight including of batteries C and bottom D, for maintaining a suitable metal body enclosed throughout with all of the elements of the lamp circuit in contact. a resilient jacket of rubber or the like, except Over the body B I place a removable rubber for the lens adjacent the lamp, and including `iacket J which completely encloses all of the a simple and novel type oi switch mounted in body B and overlies the periphery of lens A so the bottom of the body and operable in oppoas to prevent the entrance of water and dirt 10 site directions by external pressure upon the to the body. bottom, for opening and closing the circuit of The upper member l of the body receives at the lamp at will. its upper end a flange 3 of a conical housing ana Another object is to provide a switch which reflector H and the lens A is held on said flange is wholly mounted on the body of the flashlight by means of an annular bead 4 which has an l5 and is operable to an equal extent and in a simiinternal annular groove 5. Socket S is attached lar manner regardless of whether or not the jackto the bottom of housing H and lamp L is, as et is in position on the flashlight body and which usual, screwed into said socket. requires no connection with the jacket, has no The bottom of body member 2 is provided zu parts imbedded in the jacket as in the case of with the switch member D, formed, as shown in my said patented device and is otherwise simple Fig. 5, with peripheral segments 6, 6 etc. and a of design and eflicient in operation, slightly concave bottom l, formed integrally.

A further object is to provide a flashlight The segments 6 may extend upwardly and downhaving a telescoping bpdy capable of extension wardly or both upwardly and downwardly as or contraction so as to vary the length thereof shown, in the latter event the segments being 25 for holding a selected number of battery cells folded back upon themselves and arranged in by the employment of jackets of correspondingly such a manner that by applying pressure to one different length. or more of the segments at their extremities the Finally, it is an object to provide a waterproof concavity of the disc l will be reversed. Thus,

jacket which enhances the life of the flashlight as shown in Fig. 2, when the segments 6 are 30 and prevents damage thereto as when dropped pressed inwardly the portion l which, as seen or brought into forcible contact with hard obfrom above, is concave in form, will become con- J'SCS- Other Objects may appear aS the descripvex and willengage a central teat 8 on a plate tion progresses. 9 which is held in the bottom of body member 2.

I have shown a preferred form of flashlight The upper portions of segments 6 are spaced 35 embodying my said improvements in the accomslightly from the outer surface of member 2 so panying drawing, subject to modification, within that they may be sprung inwardly for reversing the scope of the appended claims, Without dethe portion 1 and disengaglng the same from tearl parting from the spirit thereof. In said draw- 8. It is obvious that the circuit of lamp L is 40 ing: closed when portion l engages teat 8, through 4@ Fig. 1 is a top plan view. spring E, battery cells C, socket S, lamp L, hous- Flg. 2 is a sectional elevation, slightly emerged, ing H and body members I and 2. Plate 9 has 0n line 2-2 0f F18- l; an insulating ring l0 which insulates the same Fig. 3 is a sectional plan on line 3 3 of Fig. 2; from body member 2 at the bottom. Hence the 5 Fig. 4 is a sectional plan on line 4 4l of Fig. 2; movement of portion 'l to and from contact with 45 and teat 8 closes and opens the lamp circuit and the Fig. 5 is a. perspective View of a spring metal tension 'of the metal of which the switch D is bottom for the flashlight body, forming a switch formed serves to hold the portion l in either for the lamp. of the two positions into which it is sprung Briefly described, I generally arrange the flashby external pressure on segments 6. Pref- 5 light, as shown in Fig. 2 with a metallic body B, erably the jacket conforms in shape to the preferably formed of a pair of telescoping cylinbottom of the flashlight body. It is quite apdrical members I and 2, a lamp housing H of parent that when pressure is applied to the botusual character fitted into the upper end of memtom il of jacket J the central portion 1 of ber l and adapted to hold a socket S and a lamp switch D will spring upwardly and close the u circuit of lamp L and the tension of the metal will hold the portion l in contact with teat 8 until pressure is applied to the upper portions of segments 6, thereby reversing the portion 'i and opening the lamp circuit. When the lower portions of segments 6 are provided they may be pressed inwardly for springing the portion 'i into contact with teat 8 in lieu of applying pressure to the bottom portion i.

It is quite obvious .that the body B may be extended or contracted to accommodate a selected number oi' battery cells C and a jacket J of sufficient length applied over the body so as to completely enclose the body against the entrance of Water and dust and, additionally, providing a safeguard against breakage as when the flashlight is dropped.

Body member 2 has an externally formed shallow boss I2 on the periphery thereof which is end of the body for closing said circuit, the flexible members on the sides of the body being also operable to open said circuit, a jacket enclosing said body except at the end containing said lamp and having flexible portions opposite said exlble members.

5. A ashlight comprising a bodyarranged to support a battery, a lamp in the circuit of said battery, and a switch controlling said battery including a fixed contact member, a circular disc forming a contact adapted to be flexed into and out of engagement with said fixed member, and flexible portions extended from the periphery of said disc and arranged to flex said disc into and out of engagement with said fixed contact when pressure is applied at spaced points thereof.

-.6. A flashlight comprising a tubular body open at its ends, a lamp mounted in one end thereof, a battery within said body and connected in the slidable in a vertical channel I3 formed 0n the'-circuit of said lamp, and a switch controlling said member l, as indicated in broken lines in Fig. 2, for the purpose of guiding the body members in their telescoplng movement, one upon the other. Channel i3 has short right angular extensions l at spaced points thereon into which the boss i2 may be moved by slightly turning the body so as to lock the body members I and 2 at selected positions, depending upon the number of battery cells C held in the body.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. A flashlight comprising a body, a lamp mounted at an end of said body, a battery mounted within said body and connected in the circuit of said lamp, and a switch controlling said circuit and including a fixed contact member, a contact member movable by fiexure thereof into and out of contact with said fixed member, and fiexlble peripheral portions extended in opposite directions from said movable contact member and operating when pressure is applied to different ends thereof to move said movable contact into and out of engagement with said fixed contact member.

2. A flashlight comprising a body, a lamp at an end thereof, a battery in said body and connected in the circuit of said lamp and a switch controlling said circuit and including a fixed contact member at an end of said body and tensioned portions of which one operates when flexed to move the other into and out of contact with said fixed contact member, and a resilient jacket completely enclosing said body andswitch through which pressure is applied to operate said tensioned portions, said tensioned portions being located on the side and at one end of said body and being operable by pressure applied to the corresponding side and end portions of said jacket.

3. A fiashlight comprising a tubular body, a lamp at one end of said body, a battery within said body and in the circuit for said lamp, a switch controlling said circuit and being disposed at the other end of said body and including independently iiexible and connected members selectively operable on the sides and at the last named end of the body for closing said circuit, the fiexible members on the sides of the body being also operable to open said circuit.

4. A iiashlight comprising a tubular body, a lamp at one end of said body, a battery within said body and in the circuit for said lamp, a switch controlling said circuit and being disposed at the other end of said body and including independently flexible and connected members operable selectively on the sides and at the last named circuit and being disposed in the other end of said body and including a fixed contact member, a concavo-convex contact member Vmovable vby fiexure thereof into and out of engagement with said fixed contact member, and flexible members fixed to the periphery of said disc and operating when pressed to fiex said disc into and out of engagement with said fixed contact.

` '7. A fiashlight comprising a tubular body open at its ends, a lamp mounted in one end thereof, a battery within said body and connected in the circuit of said lamp, and a switch controlling said circuit and being disposed in the other end of said body and including a fixed contact member, a concavo-convex contact member movable by fiexure thereof into and out of engagement with said fixed contact member, iiexible members fixed to the periphery of said disc and operating when pressed to flex said disc into and out of engagement with said fixed contact, and a jacket surrounding said body and having flexible portions engaging said disc and said fiexible members.

8. A flashlight comprising a tubular body open at its ends, a lamp mounted in one end thereof, a battery within said body and connected in the circuit of said lamp, and a switch controlling said circuit and being disposed in the other end of said body and including a fixed contact member, a concavo-convex contact member movable by flexure thereof into and out of engagement with said fixed contact member, flexible members fixed to' the periphery of said disc and operating when pressed to flex said disc into and out of engagement with said fixed Contact, said fiexible members being extended at right angles to the plane of said disc and above and below the latter.

9. A flashlight comprising a tubular body open at its ends, a lamp mounted in one end thereof, a battery within said body and connected in the circuit of said lamp, and a switch controlling said circuit and being disposed in the other end of said body and including a fixed contact member, a concavo-convex contact member movable by exure thereof into and out of engagement with said fixed contact member, and flexible members fixed to the periphery of said disc and operating when pressed to flex said disc into and out'of engagement with said fixed contact, said iiexible members being formed integral with said disc and operating when pressed at certain ends thereof to iiex the disc into engagement with said fixed contact and operating when pressed at the other ends thereof to fiex the disc out of contact with said fixed contact.

10. In a fiashlight a tubular body, a lamp in ananas said lbody, a battery within said body and in the circuit of said lamp, a switch controlling said circuit and disposed at one end of said body, a tubular iiexible resilient jacket enclosing said body and closing the end thereof containing said switch, said switch including a tlxed contact, a exible movable contact operating responsive *n pressure at said end of said jacket to move into engagement with said xed contact, and means operating responsive to pressure applied against the side of said jacket adjacent said end for moving said movable contact into or out of engagement with said nxed contact. A

CARL F. JOERS. 

